All this week, I’m breaking down ways to keep your family healthy as you head back to school. Along the way, we busted some urban myths — and hopefully saved you some money! Today, let’s talk food.
You already know this, but your child will do better – emotionally, physically, cognitively – if they eat well.
When it comes to the weekday and food in the family home, that old adage is right: If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail.
Here are some guidelines to looking after little – and maybe some older – tummies.
Eat Breakfast. Have a plan for breakfast for the week in the house. If there isn’t time for porridge, consider overnight oats, baked oatmeal, or yogurt pots. Choose wholegrains options for breads and cereals wherever possible. Add fruit and a source of protein (milk, eggs, yogurt). Avoid highly processed pastries, to-go foods, and sugary cereals.
Meal Plan, Meal Plan, Meal Plan – and especially dinner: If I have one piece of health advice that I would give every busy family, that would be to meal plan. Consider batch cooking double/triple amount of food and having it over 2 – 3 nights. Once you bring in this healthy habit, you will be amazed how much stress goes out of your life (as well as how much it helps the household food budget!) Check out the following previous posts on meal prepping and planning to help you get started:
Pack that Lunchbox:
Does your child have free hot lunch?
Look for flags or labels that read “once a week treat” or similar note, depending on your school’s provider. These are indications that this food is higher in calories, higher in fat, or lower in things your child really needs like veggies or protein. Try to keep that flagged option to the recommended once-a-week. (Never noticed those notes? You’re not alone!) It sorts your stress – but what about your child’s? Many families rely on the free lunch, and for families with food insecurity, it’s really important. However, if you are lucky enough where you don’t need the free lunch and your child absolutely hates it – maybe you’re better off opting out than the battles over the food.Keeping that lunchbox healthy and appealing takes effort. Here are ways to make it simpler for you:
For your mental health, just stop following that mother on instagram who cuts out sandwiches into Disney shapes or makes Bento boxes. She isn’t a real person anyway and it’s just depressing you.
Try to limit drinks to milk (for younger children) or water in the lunchbox.
Double-check the portion size for your child. Safefood has an excellent guide to helping you figure out how much food is enough or too much.
Limit the amount of processed and ultra-processed foods that go into a child’s lunchbox. These often have added salt and added sugar, and are often tasty but not filling.
Some children like variety, some children want the same thing daily. Regardless, best not to stick a brand new food in your child’s lunchbox you haven’t tried out at home first.
Make a lunchbox planner. Try a 5 day or 10 day routine that you can repeat. You can use this lunchbox planner guide from SafeFood to help you get started.
Giving your child control can get them on side: Choose a fun water bottle, stickers on the lunchbox, given the a choice between 2 or 3 options for fruit or vegetable when doing the shopping or packing. Let them make or pack some of it themselves.
Consider cooking extra dinner portion for the next day’s lunch. Either to pack a small portion of the dinner itself, or just extra rice/couscous/pasta for a salad or some extra ham/chicken to put in a wrap or sandwich.
For even more meal and snack ideas, follow INDI/CORU registered dietitians on social media. @weaning.ie and @solidstart.ie specialise in children, and also regularly share tips on common issues like fussy eaters. @orlawalshnutrition, @what2eat.ie, and @thegutexperts also regularly post healthy meal ideas. Bento boxes and Disney cookie cutters not required.
Any ideas for a family friendly low cholesterol meal plan? Struggling to find same and cannot manage two working parents, growing hungry teens and husband’s doctor’s instructions to banish all red meat!!!
The Irish Heart Foundation has great recipes: https://irishheart.ie/how-to-keep-your-heart-healthy/recipes/ My best advice would be to work with a registered dietitian to get started building a meal plan. Your husband’s doctor absolutely recommended reducing red meat – we all should! – but lowering cholesterol sometimes takes more than just eliminating red meat, and often more than just changing diet. Your options depend on your location – though many dietitian offer virtual appointments! If you have private health insurance, you can book one yourself and it’s covered/reimbursed on most plans. You should look for someone properly qualified, and that means INDI and CORU registration. You can aslso ask your GP for a referral through public system as well. If you are struggling to put the meal plan into place or it’s not enough to meet the health goals, then getting a referral to doctor like me who works with whole families can sometimes help.